Despite existence roundly rejected by a vocal majority of the Bitcoin Cash community, a controversial miner's tax is still causing rifts among the money's adherents.

In January, a conglomerate of Bitcoin Cash mining companies suggested an enforced 12.5% tax on BCH miners as a way of funding community development. After weeks of fence, the main signatories of the taxation programme (comprising a majority of Bitcoin Cash mining power) reversed their conclusion, and the Infrastructure Funding Program, or IFP, was dropped.

Bitcoin Cash miner's revenue enhancement still a possibility?

Just a month away from the next Bitcoin Greenbacks technical update, the IFP protocol remains embedded in the Bitcoin ABC code. This has triggered another circular of debate within BCH ranks, with many pondering the wisdom of leaving an plain unnecessary attack vector in place.

With a majority of BCH users opposed to the IFP, its presence in the code leaves open the possibility of a malicious miner deciding to activate the protocol. If enough hashpower was pledged in favour of activating the funding plan, it would finer veto the wishes of the Bitcoin Cash community at large.

One commenter on the Bitcoin Cash subreddit demanded to know why the IFP code was withal in place, and what it meant for the future of Bitcoin Cash evolution:

"Does the IFP remain in the code until the adjacent hard fork? (and so removed in the next hardfork). Does the IFP remain in the code in perpetuity? (Horrifying). Does the IFP remain in the code and able to exist activated at any betoken by an influx of miners from core btc? (Also scary)."

Some other asked for articulate answers from the Bitcoin ABC team (the development grouping which drives much of Bitcoin Cash development), asking:

"Why can't Bitcoin ABC merely give a clear answer as to why they accept decided to leave in the IFP code that they merits to no longer support? I find this annotate thread rather agonizing."

Bitcoin ABC responds

Bitcoin ABC recently launched a voluntary donation drive to heighten 14,500 BCH, or $3.3 million USD, in social club to assist "realize the vision of censorship-resistant P2P electronic cash for the world." Currently, 43% of that target has been raised, with the donation bulldoze set up to concluding until April thirty.

That'due south only two weeks before the scheduled BCH update on May 15. This has left some wondering whether the IFP has remained in place every bit a failsafe incase Bitcoin ABC'southward funding goals aren't met past the finish of the calendar month.

Indeed, the Bitcoin ABC business plan for the coming year states clearly why the code for the Infrastructure Funding Plan remains in place:

"If all else fails, miners may be incentivized to implement an infrastructure funding plan that involves a mandatory per centum-based contribution of the Bitcoin Greenbacks block reward to Bitcoin Greenbacks development teams."

Electron Greenbacks wallet developer, Jonald Fyookball, expressed his displeasure with the above reasoning, noting:

"Well, at least it is some kind of response. Not a very satisfying one though, and it doesn't change the reckless/hostile behavior of actually leaving information technology in. Reading between the lines, it looks similar ABC is using IFP every bit a bargaining chip."

Depending on the effect of Bitcoin ABC's donation drive this calendar month, could that bargaining chip exist cashed in come hardfork twenty-four hour period on May fifteen?